STUDENT TASERED AT HIGH SCHOOL for allegedly stealing, fighting with cops

HILLARY FEDERICO, Press Staff

Published
12:00 am EDT, Friday, September 3, 2010

MIDDLETOWN -- Police and school officials are investigating why a student at Middletown High School was tasered at lunchtime Friday after allegedly stealing food from the cafeteria.

Police said the student was "dry-stunned," or tased without the use of immobilizing projectiles. When a person is dry-stunned, the Taser is held against the person's skin and is intended to cause pain without incapacitating the victim.

Around noon, a 17-year-old student was allegedly caught stealing a Jamaican pattie and was approached by officers Kurt Scrivo and school resource officer Alex Rodriguez, of the Middletown Police Department. When the two officers told the senior that he was under arrest and began placing handcuffs on him, he allegedly became violent.

Soon after, his brother, a ninth-grader at the high school, attempted to defend his brother and reportedly joined in on the fight.

At that point, the older student was dry-stunned by one of the officers and was arrested for breach of peace, interfering with an officer and larceny, according to Sgt. Mike Marino. He is currently being held on a $5,000 bond.

His younger brother was arrested for breach of peace and interfering with an officer but has since been released into his mother's custody. He was also found to be in possession of marijuana.

Witness accounts said that the boys' mother arrived at Middletown police headquarters around 12:30 p.m. She reportedly told officers that the son who had been tased had suffered from seizures in the past and that she was worried about his well-being.

Officer Marino said that the officers had worked within the boundaries of the law when they tased her son and assured her that he was okay. Marino explained that her son had been "uncooperative" and "combative" with officers when he was tased.

When the woman insinuated that her son may have been tased for no reason, he allegedly said that she watched too many television programs.

"Had this gentleman been compliant, he wouldn't have been tased," Marino said. I think it was justified. (Tasing) was very appropriate for the incident."

He added that Scrivo was sent to the hospital after the fight with a hurt shoulder.

In the past several years, Taser guns have become increasingly popular non-lethal weapons of choice by police officers stirring up debate across the nation. Tasers use electric pulses and human muscle contractions to incapacitate people considered to be a threat to law enforcement and the public.

After the deaths of three Canadian men shot by Tasers in 2007, debate over the degree of harm they can cause have led many to question the necessity of Taser guns, especially within police departments.

The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based TASER International stands by its product, stating that the energy emitted by the Taser does not affect internal organs. Rather, the tool's energy follows the grain of a human's muscle, impacting sensory motion and motor control. According to the company there has never been a proven case of a death directly caused by a Taser.

No representatives from Taser International could be immediately reached to comment Friday.

The police, who have admitted to the use of a Taser at the scene, said they used it as a last resort after attempting to control the student verbally. However, many parents are up in arms over the officers' choice to use the weapon on a minor.

"Age is just a number," Marino said. "Personally, I would've rather gotten tased any day of the week than get pepper sprayed, which was the alternative."

Currently, there are approximately 10 operational Tasers within the Middletown Police Department, according to Marino. Each officer is certified to use a Taser and is eligible to sign one out at any time.

In an article published by the Press in July, Acting Police Chief Patrick McMahon said, "Tasers are very safe if used properly. They are designed to minimize any injury to individuals and injury to police officers. It eliminates the need to use a nightstick or police dogs that can bite and harm someone."

To date, there are no existing regulations that restrict or prohibit the use of Tasers on anyone, including minors within a school.

"All in all, we can tase anyone who's out of control," Marino said.

Superintendent of Schools Michael Frechette said that he did not know of any regulations controlling the use of Tasers within any of Middletown's 11 schools.

Frechette, who received notice of the incident around 2:30 p.m., said that the school is in the process of obtaining the video tapes and will hold interviews with student witnesses after.

"I am deeply concerned about the use of force but I reserve all comment until further investigation," Frechette said.

One mother with a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old at the high school said that her two children are traumatized after witnessing Friday's incident.

"I can't wait to see what (the police) say," said the woman, who asked not to be named. "What the hell were they thinking? He's a child!"

According to members of the student body, both boys are "good kids" and have not caused any trouble in the past.

Calls to the high school principal, assistant principals, dean of students and the acting police chief were not returned by the time this article went to print.

The student is scheduled to appear in court at Middletown Superior Courthouse on Sept. 17.